PURPOSE | The Mandalorian

XXXIV

When I got to the hatch that led back up into the Crest, Din had his back to me and was putting binders around Qin's wrists.

The purple Twi glanced over Din's shoulder at me, his eyes widening in fear only for a moment before they narrowed in pure hatred.

Din noticed the change in Qin's body language, and he turned to look over his shoulder at me as I finished my approach. His shoulders relaxed once he caught a glimpse of me and saw that I was alright.

But my attention flicked back to Qin as he said, his voice low and raspy, "They're all dead, aren't they?"

I came to a stop beside Din, letting the broad and muscular Twi take get a good long look at me, especially since he didn't get one the first time we met. I replied in an equally low voice, "They got what they deserved."

Technically no, I didn't kill them, but let him make whatever he wanted out of my response.

I turned my head to look at Din. "Let's get out of here," I said over the alarms, jumping up to grab the railing above my head and easily pulling myself up into the bay of the Crest.

I heard Din grunt from below. "Agreed."

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It didn't take us long to return to the isolated base. By the time Din had landed the Crest in the hangar, I had just finished cleaning my blaster.

As the ship jostled slightly as it landed, I noticed Qin raise his head to look at me out of the corner of my eye. I then lifted my own head to stare back, and we just stared at each other in silence before he asked tersely, "Did you kill her?"

I blinked at him slowly. "No," I replied eventually, even though that damned Twi deserved it for how she treated Din. But then I remembered how much she was bleeding after I stabbed her and added, "Not directly, at least."

I thought Qin would be relieved to hear that Xi'an was still alive, but he only scoffed, like he was disappointed. "You should have killed her," He rasped. "Because Xi'an will kill you first."

I huffed a laugh, not bothered that he was insinuating that Xi'an would hunt me down until she killed me. "You realize I'm a huntress, right?" I asked lightly, pushing myself away from the wall I was leaning against, "You're pathetic sister doesn't scare me."

Qin bristled at my tone, opening his mouth to retort back. But before he could, Din jumped down from the cockpit, pressing the button on his vambrace that opened the bay doors. He then stalked to Qin, hauling the large Twi to his feet before shoving him towards the opening doors. But before the doors fully opened, I brushed past Qin, quickly slipping the activated tracking beacon I stole into his pocket.

The ramp to the bay touched down on the hangar floor, and I walked out of the bay before Qin and Din. My eyes were intently focused on Ran as he approached, delighted to see that we had successfully returned Qin.

I halted as soon as my boots hit the hangar floor, folding my arms across my chest as Din came to a stop beside me. Ran continued his approach, his face slackening slightly when he realized the rest of his crew was not on board our ship.

Ran stopped a few feet away from us. "Where are the others?" He asked, a nervous smile on his face.

With his hand wrapped around Qin's bicep, Din stepped forward and said flatly, "No questions asked. That's the policy, right?"

A smirk broke out across my face as Ran's eyes flickered. But the old man eventually nodded. "Right," He exhaled, "That is the policy."

"We'll take our money and leave," I stated, not bothering with small talk and formalities.